THIRTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART V 217 



established in 1904 as a department of the Iowa State College. Other 

 states which started under this plan later have by a more liberal policy- 

 extended the activity and usefulness of their commissions much beyond 

 that of our own state. A conspicuous example of this class is Illinois. 

 The first appropriation for the highway commission in Iowa was $3,500. 

 The first appropriation for the highway commission of Illinois was $50,000. 

 This year the appropriation for the Iowa commission has increased to 

 $10,00'0, the appropriation in Illinois has increased to $100,000. The 

 state commission of Minnesota has $150,000 for engineering alone; that 

 of Wisconsin $350,000 annually to be used for road and bridge construc- 

 tion and $40,000 for engineering expenses. 



It will be seen from the above that there are three positions which 

 different states have taken, Iowa holding the position between the states 

 now doing the most and those doing the least toward road improve- 

 ment. It will also be seen that she is fast losing the company of such 

 states as Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan and that to hold a place of 

 equal rank with these sister states a considerably better appropriation 

 must be made for state road work by the forthcoming general assembly. 

 A study of road conditions as they exist shows that the recent tendency 

 in the United States has been toward a more centralized form of con- 

 trol. From the time the system of state aid was first introduced by 

 New Jersey in about 1891, state after state has adopted this principle 

 either through direct financial assistance or at least through engineering 

 aid. It is not always easy to see by what process of reasoning various 

 states have adopted the policy now extent. For instance, New York 

 has issued a total of $100,000,000 worth of bonds. To date about 

 $50,0^00,000 have been spent. 



There are very few, if any, materials for road surfaces now in use 

 that will last fifty years or even nearly fifty years. This means that 

 before the bonds are taken up, part of the roads, at least, paid for out of 

 the proceeds of the bonds will have been destroyed. This is a condi- 

 tion that is already causing concern, and it would seem to be an unwise 

 policy for any state to issue long lived bonds for short lived roads. 

 There are some items for which bonds might be issued profitably. If a 

 road is re-located, a steep grade reduced, adequate drainage provided of 

 permanent character, — such items might be added to the permanent value 

 of a road, but if a road surface is built which within the first year of its 

 life requires maintenance and which each year following, requires larger 

 sums to be spent upon it then the investment is a questionable one. 

 Including the automobile tax, the road fund will this year amount to 

 more than seven million dollars and will probably never again be as low 

 as this, but rather will increase. If this amount of money can be wisely 

 and judicially expended, far greater results can be shown than for any 

 time in the past. 



In my judgment, long time bond issues should not be even consid- 

 ered. At the present time even short time bonds should not be issued 

 by the state. The seven million dollars, however, is raised by local 

 taxing authority; that is with the exception of the automobile tax this 



